Rescue workers stop search for missing 41-year-old man in Lake Michigan at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston, Illinois; 2 swimmers rescued

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) – A swimmer went missing in Lake Michigan in the northern suburbs Sunday afternoon, officials said. Dangerous water conditions complicated rescue efforts and the search was suspended until Monday morning.

Evanston police and fire officials said three swimmers were rescued at Lighthouse Beach around 4 p.m., but a fourth swimmer, a 41-year-old man, was missing.

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“Two teenage girls, an adult woman and a 41-year-old man … the three women were brought in with the assistance of one of our citizens who was on scene swimming,” said Captain Jeff Boetto of the Evanston Fire Department.

A red flag warning was in effect at the beach on Sunday, meaning the water is not suitable for swimming, officials said. A beach hazard warning was in effect throughout the day as strong winds caused waves 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) high.

“With the water conditions and the waves, we just don’t have any visibility out there,” Boetto said. “When we raise the red flag, it’s for a reason… there are no lifeguards on duty, you enter the water at your own risk and we don’t want what happened today to happen to anyone else.”

Lighthouse Beach was closed and a heavy police and fire presence was on site as emergency crews searched for the missing man.

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Due to dangerous water conditions and poor visibility, the search was called off after 7 p.m. that evening, authorities told ABC7.

“After extensive search efforts, the Evanston Fire Department has made the difficult decision to call off the search for today. However, the search will continue tomorrow, Monday, July 1, during the morning hours as we remain committed to recovering the missing person,” an Evanston spokesperson said in a statement.

The Chicago Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard responded. The CFD helicopter was on scene and the Evanston Fire Department deployed a drone.

Zach Nellis was on the beach with his family when rescue workers arrived on the scene.

“Hopefully they find a swimmer… I hope for the best… there’s a strong current out there,” Nellis said.

It was not immediately clear whether the missing man is related to the three other rescued swimmers.

Officials did not initially provide any further information.